Conference Preview: Encountering the Gospel in Worship

The following preview comes to us from Alex Mejias of High Street Hymns who will be leading a breakout session Friday morning entitled “High Street Hymnody: Encountering the Gospel in Worship”. For more info about the fantastic work that High Street Hymns is doing, go here. To register for the conference, here.

“They [the righteous] praise only God’s grace, works, words and power as they are revealed to them in Christ. This is their sermon and song, their hymn of praise.”

– Martin Luther

In Colossians 3:16, Paul encourages the church to, “let the word of Christ richly dwell within you… teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” In doing so, Paul reveals power of music to shape the body of Christ in the Gospel. Paul S. Jones writes that, “musicians and preachers actually share in the ministry of the Word.” As those who are entrusted with the music of church, how are we proclaiming the Gospel and enabling spiritual formation through song? How are we not doing so?

During our time together, we’ll look at both the theological and practical side of corporate song in the Church. Drawing from the Church’s rich tradition of hymnody and liturgy, we’ll explore some possible ways of encountering the Gospel through music.

p.s. Church musicians are invited to drop in and join us for this special session, free of charge. Just be sure to email us at info@mbird.com to reserve your spot.

Publications

About

WHAT: Mockingbird seeks to connect the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life in fresh and down-to-earth ways.

WHY: Are we called Mockingbird? The name was inspired by the mockingbird’s peculiar gift for mimicking the cries of other birds. In a similar way, we seek to repeat the message we have heard – God’s word of grace and forgiveness.

HOW: Via every medium available! At present this includes (but is not limited to) a daily weblog, weekly podcasts, a quarterly print magazine, semi-annual conferences, and an ongoing publications initiative.

WHO: At present, we employ four full-time staff, David Zahl, Ethan Richardson, Margaret Pope and CJ Green, and four part-time, Sarah Condon, Bryan Jarrell, Luke Roland and Marcy Hooker. They are helped and supported by a large number of contributing volunteers and writers. Our board of directors is chaired by The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman.

WHERE: Our offices are located at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, VA.

WHEN: Mockingbird was incorporated in June 2007 and is currently in its 12th year of operation.

Online Giving

The work of Mockingbird is made possible by the gifts of private donors and churches. Our fundraising burden for 2019 is roughly $360,000, and with virtually no overhead, your gifts translate directly into mission and ministry. Can you help? Please feel free to email us at info@mbird.com if you have any questions or would like more information.

As a convenience, we are set up to accept online donations via Paypal. This method will allow you to give with a credit card, in any amount you wish. Simply click on the button below and follow the instructions.